A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.

“We wish therefore and prescribe, that all observe the law of the Church, and that at home or in the church they shall always wear the cassock, which is proper to the clergy. When they go out for duty or relaxation or on a journey, they may use a shorter [coat] which is to be black in color, and which reaches to the knees, so as to distinguish it from the dress of the laity. They should reject the more elegant and worldly styles of garments, which are found today. We enjoin upon our priests as a matter of strict precept that, both at home and abroad, and whether they are residing in their own diocese or outside of it, they shall wear the Roman collar.”
— Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884)

NLESS I’M MISTAKEN, we’ve only had one fundraising campaign since our founding in October of 2006. I have to admit, I hate asking people for money; and some Catholic organizations drive me crazy by constantly begging for money in an alarmist way.

However, as President of Watershed, it’s my duty to inform you of the following:

(1) We’re a volunteer organization. None of our contributors, including myself, is paid a salary. 1

(2) You’d be amazed at the cost of keeping CCW running. 2

(3) We never want to see CCW disappear. We don’t want to remove the more than 9,000 musical scores, videos, and audio files we’ve uploaded. Please take a moment to remind yourself about a few contributions we’ve made over the years:

Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely yours, in Christ,

Jeff Ostrowski, President Corpus Christi Watershed 3 August 2014

NOTESFROMTHIS ARTICLE:

1 We do sometimes pay a webmaster in Mexico to fix our website when it breaks.

2 Monthly costs you might not even realize include the ability to accept credit card donations ($60.00 per month) and the ability to send messages to our mailing list ($59.70 per month). Much more substantial, however, are “hidden” costs, like paying our Accountant to file yearly 501(c)3 tax papers. (I handle the bookkeeping on a volunteer basis, but I’m totally unqualified for the accountancy.) Finally, please remember that our artists receive the royalties from their sales, not CCW. This includes any liturgical products we promote. Some items are created by our contributors. Others (like the CMAA products) are sold by organizations we advocate. In the past, we’ve never excessively stressed this fact for two reasons: (a) until 2013, CCW did sell some products directly; (b) our composers have asked us not to belabor this point in an unprofessional way, since the products should stand on their own merits.

3 All donations are tax-deductible and may, according to our priest-chaplain, be considered part of your monthly tithe in service to the Church.

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling
the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative
media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.